"Hello everyone, I'm Alandiye. I may have many uncertainties here, so I kindly ask for your guidance." Tiyi's long hair swayed gently as she bowed slightly to the class.

I'm starting to understand why Selys chose this method of revenge... Introducing myself as a transfer student to the very class I taught just days ago—bowing before them—is another form of public punishment. Selys intends to dismantle my confidence piece by piece, ensuring I drown in shame and pain at every moment. Tiyi kept her head lowered, sinking into despair.

"Alright, Tiyi," homeroom teacher Shalu pointed to an empty seat near the back window—close to the glass but not directly beside it. "Take that seat."

Tiyi now wore the standard-issue uniform provided by the teacher. It was too tight across the chest; a custom-fit set would take days to prepare. The Imperial Sacred Academy always kept spare uniforms for transfers—free of charge. No student would ever attend in outside clothing.

Clutching her black leather academy satchel, Tiyi descended the podium and walked toward her new seat. Naturally, all eyes were on the transfer student—especially one so strikingly beautiful with subtle Eastern features.

"Whoa... a real stunner," muttered a tall, russet-haired boy slouched against the rear wall. His chair tilted precariously, one booted foot propped on the desk. Dark-skinned with a roguish grin, he wore his uniform unbuttoned to reveal a circular helmet emblem on the left breast—an apprentice knight cadet’s insignia. Such status required noble blood or patronage, not just skill.

Near the front, a golden-haired youth sat upright—handsome, polished, radiating warmth. His gaze held genuine kindness toward the newcomer. Meanwhile, a scrawny novice monk with a bowl cut scribbled furtively in a notebook, eyes glued to Tiyi.

"Tch..." A violet-haired girl in the front row—previously the class’s most endowed—snorted disdainfully. Her fingers and ears glittered with expensive jewelry. "Another show-off."

"Her? Tiyi...?" whispered a bespectacled girl with twin braids in the back corner. She peeked over her textbook. "She transferred here? The Council President seemed unusually attentive... Who *is* she?" This was the same girl who’d delivered Qingruo’s trousers during the exams—a Student Council errand runner.

In the classroom’s darkest corner, beneath ancient stone arches, Xingyu rested her chin on her palm. Her ink-blue hair spilled over her shoulders as a faint, unreadable smile touched her lips.

Tiyi felt the weight of dozens of gazes—curious, assessing, hostile. Every student here was elite: heirs of nobles, scions of the Church, or prodigies with exceptional talent. These were tomorrow’s rulers and warriors. Blending in wouldn’t be easy.

She set her satchel down gracefully, slid into her seat with practiced poise—not from habit, but from Witch Church training in imperial noble etiquette. Survival here demanded perfection.

Unseen by Tiyi, Mina sat just behind her.

"Tiyi-sama is so lovely... and her figure..." Mina hid behind a propped-up textbook, stealing glances before glumly eyeing her own flat chest.

"Alandiye comes from very far away," Teacher Shalu announced while arranging her black-bound *Imperial Epic* textbook. "She may struggle with our climate and customs. Please support her."

"Don’t worry, Shalu—I’ll take *real* good care of her!" The russet-haired boy raised his hand with a smirk.

"Tast, you will address me as *Teacher*," Shalu reprimanded sternly. "Focus on passing Imperial Language first. Let the girls assist Alandiye."

"I’d be honored to help," Xingyu volunteered softly from her shadowed corner. "I remember how lost I felt as a transfer."

"Ah, Xingyu—I trust you completely," Shalu smiled.

"*Booo—*" Disappointed groans rose from the boys.

"Silence!" Shalu opened her textbook. "Class begins now. Turn to Chapter Two: *The Age of Pioneers*. Monitor Lusa, please read the opening passage."

The well-endowed girl in the front row flipped open her book, shooting Tiyi a frosty glare before standing.

"Three centuries after the Age of Embers, humanity’s flame endured in the lightless forests, illuminating the unlit earth. Within those campfires, our ancestors beheld the Holy Lord’s guidance."

"*Go forth from the dark woods*, the Holy Lord commanded. *Descendants of gods, you bear glorious blood and noble legacy. Embrace the sun. Conquer this shadowed world.*"

"Then a great life was born—a being sent by the Holy Lord’s will. He founded our Asgard Empire’s thousand-year reign: the First Emperor, the Great One, Bearer of Sacred Words, Born of Campfire, Shatterer of Darkness, the Divine Radiant Sovereign—Xin Fuksir."

...

Dusk at the Academy.

Tiyi walked home for the first time as a student.

Beneath trees dappled in molten gold and indigo, the castle’s silhouette glowed fiercely behind the foliage. Petals crunched underfoot as she carried her satchel.

Ahead, a tall girl stood in the path. Wind stirred her long hair and skirt, scattering cherry blossoms around her.

"Upperclassman," Tiyi murmured, bowing with perfect, humble grace. This time, the title finally belonged to her.